OK here is what I have been working on the past few months. I helped write the article to get my point of view across. The car is completely done and we are just finishing up the pieces of the article/project as we have time. So this is part 1 of X. Full details will come out on each section as I don’t want to type it more than once so I will repost as we load them up on www.onehotlap.com

It’s been a fun project and the car is an absolute blast to drive! Their will be of course a people to thank section at the end but the number one thank you goes to WHATSADSM for going out of his way for me time and time again. This project wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for the awesome community and vendors here on Lotustalk So for that I thank you!

I am excited to read more. I am like you used to be, only experience working on cars is simple bolt on projects and usually with help of somebody more experienced. I would like to get a Porsche 914 and tear it apart, rebuild the engine and just learn how the thing works so working on cars can be more of a hobby than a means to getting back on the track/road again. Good Job!

... and hey it proves that while the k-swap certainly is a large project to undergo, it truly is possible to do it "in your garage". Chris my garage situation is similar to yours. It's a detached 2 car from 1928 (I'm guessing given that's when my house was made) no lift, no ac, no crazy special tools, cracked concrete floor, etc. Vast majority of the work on my car was done there as well. Motivation will go a long way!

... And on that note I must admit, Chris is one motivated individual! He caught his share of bad (and good) breaks along the way, but just kept chugging.

__________________440bhp E85 2006 Solar Yellow Elise.
The way it should have been delivered from the factory with Honda Power!

... and hey it proves that while the k-swap certainly is a large project to undergo, it truly is possible to do it "in your garage". Chris my garage situation is similar to yours. It's a detached 2 car from 1928 (I'm guessing given that's when my house was made) no lift, no ac, no crazy special tools, cracked concrete floor, etc. Vast majority of the work on my car was done there as well. Motivation will go a long way!

... And on that note I must admit, Chris is one motivated individual! He caught his share of bad (and good) breaks along the way, but just kept chugging.

Definitely interested to see how this turns out. I'm torn about going higher horsepower (since the car is actually just a really good street car now.) But if I do, there are lots of options so it's always nice to hear about people's experiences.

I still find it amazing how there is such a large base of modifications for the Elise/Exige cars even with such limited production. It is also amazing to me how willing so many owners are to perform custom, one-off work on their cars given such rarity, fragility, and high entry cost of ownership. The only thing in the auto world I could compare it to would be the mid-range Porsche 911 crowd, cars in the 1972-1995 range.

I came over from owning a Boxster S, where the cars are cheaper to get into, and much higher volume (10,000 cars a year in some years) - you would think there would be a more thriving performance mod community. But there isn't. There have been a few companies with turbo kits and superchangers, but nothing cheap enough to really think about for the average buyer.

I am still contemplating if I want to modify my Elise in any way or keep it all original, but it does make me feel better to see people jump in the deep end with their cars like this.

I also like how people don't get all uppity with the cars like some 911 guys do, and bash anything that isn't "purist".

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